Coin slide



Sept. 7, 1965 M. A. HALL 3,204,742

COIN SLIDE Filed Feb. 28, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. A. HALL Sept. 7, 1965 COIN SLIDE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28. 1963 MITCHELL A. HALL BY ATTORNE M. A. HALL COIN SLIDE Sept. 7, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 28, 1963 INVENTOR. MITCHELL A. HALL ATTORNE M. A. HALL Sept. 7, 1965 COIN SLIDE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 28, 1965 R /W L m mu v Y m E A m U 0 E w .l H A C mu n MY s H B mumm United States Patent 3,204,742 COIN SLIDE Mitchell A. Hall, 445 Rossford Ave., Fort Thomas, Ky. Filed Feb. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 261,680 18 Claims. (Cl. 19492) This invention relates to improvements in a coin slide or operator such as may be used to actuate a dispensing mechanism upon deposit of a proper coin or token into the coin slide, and involves certain improvements over the structure disclosed in my copending application Serial N0. 90,863, filed February 21, 1961, now Patent No. 3,137,378.

An \object of the invention is to provide in a coin slide simple and convenient means to facilitate and expedite periodic cleaning of its vital parts so that the coin slide may render continuous and reliable service at all times, this being important to the profitable use of any dispenser or service machinery controlled by the coin slide. The inevitable accumulation of dirt and gum within the coin slide mechanism is the major cause of service failure, wherefore periodic cleaning, if performed quickly and inexpensively, will keep the dispenser in continuous service for maximum profitable operation and customer satisfac tron.

Another object of the invention .is to so construct the coin slide that all parts subject to periodic cleaning may be readily detached, and replaced after cleaning, without the use of technical skill and tools other than a common screwdriver.

A further object is to provide means whereby reassembly of the parts after cleaning is accomplished without requiring any adjustments or readjustments, thereby conserving the time and labor of the serviceman at each cleaning call.

Another object is to accomplish the foregoing objectives notwithstanding the fact that the coin slide may incorporate a complex of mechanisms to detect spurious coins and preclude unauthorized operation by trick or design.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the coin slide incorporating the present invention, the slide plate being fully withdrawn.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the right end of the coin slide, indicating an initial step in detaching an upper slide plate control unit for cleaning or servicing.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a later stage of unit detachment.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing the final step of unit detachment just prior to lifting the unit off the chassis or body of the coin slide.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the upper slide plate control unit lifted bodily off the chassis for cleaning.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the FIG. 1 device inverted to show the bottom or lower construction, including a coin-caliper unit which is readily detachable from the chassis.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, showing the coincaliper unit in an initial stage of detachment.

'FIG. 8 is likewise a similar view, showing the coincaliper unit in the final stage of detachment.

ice

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the right end of FIG. 8, with the coin-caliper unit completely removed and indicating a further disassembly step involving certain latches.

FIG. 10 illustrates the latch means of FIG. 9 disassembled.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-section taken on line 11 11 of FIG. 9.

The coin slide as herein disclosed comprises a coin slide plate 16 which is longitudinally reciprocable within opposed guides 18 of a stationary body member or chassis 20, between the fully retracted position of FIG. 1 and a position of full advancement at which the handle 22 stops near the mounting bracket 24 of the body member or chassis. The slide plate '16 in FIG. 5 is shown in a partly advanced position.

The slide plate is provided with one or more apertures 26 and 28 to receive coins or inserts which are to be advanced with the slide plate when the latter is actuated. The apertures are sized to accurately accommodate proper coins or inserts, as is usual, and the coins move with the slide plate over the inwardly directed shelf or extension 30 of the body member. The shelf or extension 30 is in the form of an open frame having a pair of spaced parallel side rails 3232 upon which the slide plate'16 rides during reciprocation, and at their rear or inner ends the rails may the connected by a cross bar 34 formed integrally therewith. Rails 3232 are fixed relative to mounting bracket 24, and are coplanar and aligned with guides 18 to support the slide plate in all stages of its reciprocative movement.

Slide plate 16, FIG. 1, is adapted to advance coins deposited therein, as handle 22 is pushed toward mounting bracket 24. The coins so advanced are subjected to tests for magnetic properties, continuity of surfaces, thickness and diametral dimensions, and the like, which tests, if met by the coins, permit a full advancement of the slide plate necessary to initiate a dispensing action of the dispensing apparatus. Coincidentally therewith, the coins drop from the coin slide and are collected in a suitable coin box or receptacle.

In the event that the coins, or either of them, fail to pass all the tests, the slide plate is latched against full advancement but may be withdrawn to the initial starting position, thereby to return the coins to the depositor.

The slide plate operation above described is common to that of my aforesaid copending application Serial No. 90,863, which may be referred to for details thereof if necessary.

As is most clearly illustrated by FIG. 5, slide plate 16 near its rear end 36 may be provided with a pair of spaced parallel slots 38 within which are disposed lines of rack teeth 40, the slots being parallel to the direction of reciprocation of the slide plate. The slots are receptive of perforated stationary ears 42 which are fixed upon cross bar 34 to extend through slots 3838, and perform as guides to preclude sidewise shifting of the slide plate. The perforations 44 of ears 42 loosely receive therein a crossshaft 46, which normally supports a pair of anti-friction Wheels 48-48 and a pair of rockable spring-biased pawls S050. Wheels 48 roll atop the slide plate to hold the latter lightly against rails 32 as the slide plate reciprocates.

Supported by shaft 46, the pawls 5050 depend into the slide plate slots 38. In the retracted position of the slide plate, the pawls rest in the slots where there are no (FIG. 1 and 2).

rack teeth 40, but as the slide plate is actuated to advance its coins for testing, the rack teeth approach and engage the pawls whereupon the latter act upon the teeth to preclude withdrawal of the slide plate, the coins having passed all the coin tests. The coins then drop through the open frame 30 and into a suitable receptacle, not shown, and the slide plate then may be advanced fully to actuate the dispenser controlled thereby. When the slide plate reaches the fully advanced position, pawls 50-50 'drop into the terminal end portions 5252 of slots 38-38 where there are no rack teeth, thereby permitting the pawls to swing under the influence of springs 54-54, into position for overriding the rack teeth as the slide plate is returnedto. starting position, FIG. 1, by the force of a spring 56 which is detachable at 57.

-- Frorn FIG; it is apparent that pawls 50 are attached,

by means of springs 54, to a removable upper accessory panel or plate 60 having lugs 58 to which said springs are anchored. One end of the accessory panel is bifurcated to provide a pair of spacedparallel legs 6262 in which apertures 64 are formed so as to normally accommodate the upstanding ears 42, the wheels 48, and the pawls 50 Panel 60 preferably is of sheet metal, and its legs 62 are slightly resilient so as to be capable of flexation toward slide plate 16. At the outermost side edges, the resilient legs may each be provided with an abutment 66, the purpose of which is to normally bar longitudinal shifting of shaft 46 through the openings of ears 42, this condition being evident in FIG. 1.

Upon depressing one of the legs 62, abutment 66 moves out of alignment with shaft 46, permitting longitudinal displacement and removal of the shaft (FIGS. 2 and 3). The shaft may be so shifted by means of the fingers, or by utilizing a thin nail or similar implement 68. Removal of the shaft frees the elements 48 and 50, and permits bodily removal of accessory panel 60 as in FIGS. 4 and 5. It is noted that the forward end 70 of panel 60 is adapted to be detachably hooked to a pair of spaced lugs 7272 extending from the rear of mounting bracket 24. Punched tabs or hooks 74 on the panel may engage holes 76 in the lugsvto effect the anchorage, while overhanging lips 78 on the mounting bracket serve to hold down the edge margin 70 of the panel when the panel is secured by shaft 46 in substantial parallelism with the rails 32.

The ease with which the accessory panel 60 may be removed and replaced with'relation to the coin slide body is aptly illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5. In replacing the panel, its forward edge 70 is first inserted between the lugs 72 and the lips 78, as in FIG. 4, whereupon the opposite end of the panel may be lowered over the ears 42 to a position (FIG. 2) at which shaft 46 may be projected over the lugs 62 and through the ears 42, the pawls 50, and the rollers 48, the shaft finally reaching the position of FIG. 3 at which its ends are barred by abutments 6666 against longitudinal shifting (FIG. 1).

The accessory panel 60 carries, in addition to the parts above mentioned, a pair of coin feeler elements 8080, and a pair of coin ejectors 82-82. The feeler'elements determine whether or not any coins have been deposited in the coin apertures of the coin slide, and if not, the feeler elements act to initially stop advancement of the coin slide at an early stage of movement. The coin ejectors 82 performthe function of laterally ejecting coins from the coin slide apertures in the course of advancement, so as to direct the'coins to a device for calipering the coins in testing for proper diameter and thickness characteristics. Panel 60 carries also a plurality of bar magnets 84 which preclude displacement of magnetic spurious coinshaped objects from the coin slide apertures by the action of ejectors 82, so that such objects are rejected and remain in the coin slide apertures for return to the depositor upon retraction of the coin slide to initial position.

Each coin feeler element 80 may comprise an L-shaped arm having at one end therof a depending finger 86, and at the opposite end an aperture 88 to receive a pivot shaft 90 which latter is supported upon brackets 92-92 fixed to the top of panel 60. Fingers 86 project through openings 87 in the panel, and are yieldingly urged therethrough by springs 94 acting upon the arms 80. If a coin is present in the coin aperture of the coin slide, the finger 86 is held elevated by, and glides over, the upper face of the coin as the slide plate 16 is moved to advance the coin. However, with no coin in the aperture, finger 86 is projected through the coin aperture by spring 94 to engage an edge of the aperture and thereby arrest the coin slide advancement. Peeler elements 80 are individual ly operable to detect the presence of coins in both coin apertures of the slide plate.

Ejectors 82, like feeler elements 80, may each comprise .an L-shaped arm having at one thereof a depending finger 96, and at the opposite end an aperture 98 accommodating the pivot shaft 90. Each ejector 82 has associated therewith a leaf spring 100 arranged to yieldingly project its finger 96 through an opening 102 of panel 60, and into the path of movement of .a coin advanced by the slide plate. Thus, finger 96 presses downwardly upon a coin and tends to dislodge it laterally from the coin slide aperture and onto a lower level at which the coin will undergo calipering. It must be understood that such dislodgment of the coin will occur unless the coin is a spurious one containing magnetic material, in which event the power of magnets 84 will prevail to prevent the coin leaving the coin slide aperture, so that such coin will be returned to the depositor upon retraction of the coin slide plate.

It should be noted that each ejector has an inclined forward edge 104 permitting free advancement of the slide plate, so that the ejector will at no time perform as a slide plate stop, this function being the office of feeler element 80 as previously explained.

From the foregoing explanation it will be readily evident that accessory panel 60 with all its appurtenances as illustrated by FIG. 5, may be removed, cleaned, and replaced, with a minimum expenditure of time and effort and without the use of any tools. Removal of the panel also exposes the inner parts of the coin slide for quick and thorough cleaning.

FIGS. 6 to 10 of the drawings show the under side of the coin slide, including means for calipering the coins or inserts, and means under the control of the calipering means for governing advancement of the slide plate to final operative position. .Like other parts of the coin slide, the elements at the under side thereof are subject to dirt and gum accumulations, and should accordingly be mounted for quick and easy cleaning.

The character 106 indicates a caliper mounting plate carrying a pair of caliper arms 108 and 110 pivoted thereto, said mounting plate being quickly and easily -disassociated from the coin slide body for cleaning,

without use of tools. Plate 106 fits readily between the body rails 3232, and a has a front edge 112, a rear edge 114, and a pair of parallel side edges 116. Each side edge carries a notch 118 near the rear edge 114 of the plate, said notches being adapted to register, in one position of the plate 106, with hold-down lugs formed upon and extending inwardly of the body rails 3232 for permitting removal of the plate. The two lugs 120 at opposite sides of the body (only one bein shown), register simultaneously with plate notches 118-118 incident to removal and replacement of the plate.

FIG. 7 illustrates the notches 118 in register with lugs 120. From the position there shown, plate 106 may either be lifted up for removal, as in FIG. 8, 01 said plate may be shifted bodily toward bracket 24 for securement to the coin slide body member 20, When so shifted for securment, the forward edge 112 of plate 106 passes beneath and is held by the hook members 122 which are fixedly related to the body member 20, as in FIG. 6. At the same time, notches 118 move out of registry with lugs 120 so that said lugs overlie the side edges of plate 106 and thereby hold the top side of plate against fixed spacer rib 124 provided along the inner face of each rail 32. The spacer ribs maintain a space between plate 106 and the coin slide plate 16, for the passage of coins therebetween while undergoing calipering.

In order to preclude accidental displacement of the caliper mounting plate 106, a latch member 124a may be mounted upon the plate near one of the notches 118, by means of a pivot pin 126. A spring 128 may be employed to yieldingly urge the nose of the latch member toward the adjacent side edge of the mounting plate, so that in the home position of said plate (FIG. 6), the nose of the latch member abuts the adjacent rail 32 forwardly of lug 120 to preclude accidental shifting rearwardly of the plate from the grasp of hook members 122.

Latch member 124a may be shifted from abutting relationship with lug 120, by applying thereto a nail, screwdriver, or other implement 130 to rotate the latch member about its pivot to the FIG. 7 position, thereby permiting manual withdrawal of the plate 106 from the hook members 122 until notches 118 register with the lugs 120 to permit bodily lifting of plate 106 from the. coin slide body according to FIG, 8.

From the foregoing it will be .apparent that the caliper mounting plate 106 is subject to quick and easy displacement from the coin slide, for convenience in cleaning the plate, its appurtenances, and areas of the coin slide body normally covered thereby. Also, replacement is seen to be accomplished with ease and despatch.

It may be explained that the calipering mechanism is preferably similar to that of my aforesaid copending application Serial No. 90,863. Briefly described, the caliper arms 108 and 110 have a common pivotal mounting at 132 upon plate 106. The free ends 134 of said arms are biased toward one another by a spring 136, and each of said free ends is extended normally through an elongate guide slot 138 of a transverse guide plate 140 which is detachably mounted upon the cross bar 34. Said mounting may include a screw 142 threaded into an upright .bore 144 of an interior coin guide plate 146 which underlies a portion of cross bar 34 and is fixed relative thereto by the screw (FIG. 11).

In the normal position of the caliper mounting plate as disclosed by FIG. 6 the free ends 134 of the caliper arms project through slot 138 of guide plate 140, and each end 134 extends to one of a pair of movable latch blocks 148 carried by cross bar 34. Each latch block 148 may .be of tough plastic material drilled transversely at 150, to receive a pivot pin 152 whereon the blocks may be rocked individually. Opposite ends of the pin may rest in trunnions 1514 provided in cross bar 34, the trunnions flanking a well 156 formed in the cross bar and adapted to accommodate the latch blocks.

At the swinging end thereof, each latch block is enlarged to form a head 158 arranged to overhang an abutment or stop edge 1160, leaving a channel 162 between head 158 and edge 160. A leaf spring 164, one for each latch block, is arranged to yieldingly urge the block counterclockwise about pin 152 (FIG. 11), so that the abutment end 160 is constantly induced to ride atop the coin slide plate v1 6 as the latter reciprocates. Slide plate 16 however, has formed therein a stop opening 166 (FIG. 5) which upon partial advancement of the slide plate, reache the latch blocks. Unless restrained, the latch block abutments 160 will be driven :by springs 164 into slide plate opening 166, to limit advancement of the slide plate. This action occurs whenever a coin or insert fails the caliper test.

Should the coin or insert pass the caliper test, the latch block will be restrained by a caliper arm end 134, against dipping into coin slide plate opening 166 as said plate, is advanced, whereupon advancement of the slide plate proceeds without interference from latch blocks 148. In this connection, it should be understood that the caliper arm ends 134 move toward or from one another within guide slot 138, a distance determined by the diameter and the thickness of a coin or insert undergoing calipering. Proper or acceptable coins act upon the caliper arms to dispose the caliper arm ends 134 directly beneath the latch heads 158, thereby to support the latches against any tendency to dip or tilt into the slide plateopening 166 and so limit the slide plate advancement.

The under face 170 of latch head 158 may be made convex, as indicated by FIG. 11, to render the latch block quite sensitive to proper positioning of the caliper arm end 134 for holding the latch block against dipping into slide plate opening 166.

Latch blocks 148 when assembled in well 156, may be spaced apart by a thin divider element 172. Element 172 may have at its opposite ends the extending shoulders 174 and 176 which, as shown in FIG. 11, may be detachably locked in place upon the cross bar 34. For the purpose, shoulder 174 may engage a socket 178 of the cross bar, While shoulder 176 is held down by removable guide plate 140.

Upon removal of guide plate 140 following the removal of screw 142, the divider element 172 may be lifted bodily from well 156, carrying with it the pivot pin 152 and the par-ts 148 and 164 assembled thereon. This simple operation quickly exposes the well and the latch block assembly for thorough cleaning, using only a screwdriver or quivalent implement. Replacement of the parts is seen to be equally convenient and expeditious.

From the foregoing explanation, it should readily be apparent that periodic cleaning of the coin slide constituents is reduced to a very simple procedure wherein no adjustments are disturbed, and the cleaning operation may be performed with maximum ease and despatch. The work may be performed quickly and easily by an apprentice having a minimum of mechanical skill, and using a tool which is generally readily at hand, such as a common screwdriver 180, By means of the present invention, a system of coin slide controlled mechanisms may be kept in reliably operative condition at all times, with minimum expenditures of time and labor. It is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the structural details of the coin slide, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Whereas the invention has been disclosed herein as applicable to a multiple coin slide vapparatus, it is equally well adapted to coin slides operative by a single coin.

What is claimed is:

1. Coin slide apparatus comprising in combination, a slide plate including means to advance a coin-like insert, said slide plate being shiftable between an initial position and a position of full advancement, a body member supporting the shiftable slide plate, and means for calipering the insert advanced by the slide plate, said Calipering means including a mounting plate and at least one caliper arm pivoted upon the mounting plate, and means for detachably securing the mounting plate upon the body member for bodily removal of the mounting plate and the arm as a unit, to facilitate cleaning thereof, said last mentioned means including a manually operative latch member pivotally mounted upon said plate, and a lug on the body member for engagement by the latch member to secure said plate.

2. Coin slide apparatus comprising in combination, a slide plate including means to advance a coin-like insert, said slide plate being shiftable between an initial position and a position of full advancement, a body member supporting the shiftable slide plate, means supported on the body member to test the coin-like insert for acceptability, and means detachably mounted upon said body member as a unitary assembly separate from the second mentioned means, for arresting advancement of the slide plate intermediate the positions aforesaid when the insert fails to satisfy said test means.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein the unitary assembly last mentioned comprises, a pivot pin having opposite ends supported upon the body member, a pair of latch blocks rockable individually upon the pivot pin, and yielding means urging said blocks to rotate in one direction about the pin, said blocks each including an abutment biased toward the slide plate by said yielding means, and a stop on the slide plate to engage with the latch block abutments upon failure of the inserts to satisfy the test means.

4. Coin slide apparatus comprising in combination, a slide plate including means to advance a coin-like insert, said slide plate being shiftable between an initial retracted position and a position of full advancement, a toothed rack on the slide plate intermediate its ends, a body member supporting the shiftable slide plate for movement between the positions aforesaid, an upper accessory panel plate-like in form and having an apertured forward end and a rear end, cooperative disengageable hook means between the forward end of the panel and the body member releasably coupling the panel and the body member together with the panel in substantial parellelism with the slide plate, a feeler element and a coin ejector each having a depending finger directed through an aperture of the panel and toward the slide plate, means pivoting the feeler element and the ejector upon the panel, yielding means on the panel constantly urging projection of the fingers toward the slide plate, a pawl having a nose to engage the teeth of the rack for controlling movements of the slide plate, a longitudinally displaceable shaft pivotally supporting the pawl for movement of the pawl nose toward and from the rack teeth, and support means on the panel and the body member operatively connected with the displaceable shaft, for detachably securing the rear end of the panel in fixed relation to the body member, said rear end of the panel being released for facilitating displacement of the panel upon longitudinal Withdrawal of the pawl-supporting shaft and thereby permitting separation of said disengageable hook means.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein the panel includes a pair of spaced resilient legs each carrying a manually displaceable abutmentgoperative normally to bar longitudinal withdrawal of the pawl-supporting shaft from the support means.

6. Coin slide apparatus comprising in combination, a slide plate having longitudinally extending slots therein and including means to receive and advance a coin-like insert, said slide plate being shiftable between an initial retracted position and a position of full advancement, a toothed rack in each longitudinal slot of the slide plate, a body member supporting the shiftable slide plate for movement between the positions aforesaid, a pair of apertured ears upstanding upon the body member and each projecting through a longitudinal slot of the slide plate, an upper accessory panel plate-like in form and having an apertured forward end and a bifurcated rear end, the latter producing a pair of coplanar resilient legs spaced apart in substantial parallelism, cooperative disengageable hook means between the forward end of the panel and the body member, releasably connecting the panel to the body member, a feeler element having a depending finger directed through the said aperture at the forward end of the panel and toward the slide plate for sweeping the latter, 'means pivoting the feeler element upon the panel and means yieldingly projecting the finger toward the slide plate, a pair of transversely apertured pawls each having a nose to engage the teeth of said rack, for controlling retractile movement of the slide plate, a longitudinally displaceable pivot shaft normally passing loosely through the said apertures of the pawls and the said apertures of the upstanding ears aforesaid, and suspending the pawls in and through the longitudinal slots of the slide plate for engagement of thepawl noses with the rack teeth, said shaft overlying portionsof the spaced resilient legs of the panel to preclude displacement of the panel rear end in a direction away from the slide plate, and an abutment on at least one of the resilient legs of the panel, disposed for normally barring longitudinal displacement ,of the pivot shaft, said abutment by reason of the resiliency of its leg, being displaceable to one side of the pivot shaft axis to release the shaft for bodily Withdrawal from the said apertures of the pawls and from the said apertures of the upstanding body member ears, to thereby free the rear end of the panel for displacement from the body member.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the combination includes an insert-testing caliper member operative upon inserts advanced by the slide plate, a caliper member mounting plate carrying said caliper memberand forming therewith a unit assemblage, and cooperative means on the mounting plate and the body member, including a manually operable latch member for instantaneously mounting and dismounting the unit assemblage relative to the body member.

8. Coin slide apparatus comprising in combination, a slide plate including means to advance a coin-like insert, said slide plate being shiftable between an initial retracted position and a position of full advancement, an elongate body member supporting the shiftable slide plate for movement between the positions aforesaid, an inserttesting caliper device operative upon inserts advanced by the slide plate, said caliper device including a pair of movable arms each having a free swinging end, a caliper device mounting plate carrying said movable arms and forming therewith a unit assemblage, elongate ribs on and extending longitudinally of the body member at opposite sides thereof and having opposite side edge portions of said mounting plate bearing thereon and spacing said mounting plate from and parallel with the slide plate, holding lugs on said sides of the body member spaced from said ribs to engage over the side of the mounting plate opposite from the ribs, means for disengaging the mounting plate from and engaging it with the lugs for selectively mounting and dismounting the unitassemblage bodily relative to the body member, a pivot pin having opposite ends supported upon the body member, a pair of latch blocks rockable individually upon the pivot pin, and yielding means tending constantly to urge said blocks rotationally in a common direction about the pin, said block-s each including an abutment biased toward the slide plate by said yielding means, a stop on the slide plate to engage the latch block abutments for limiting advancement of the slide plate, and means on the latch block-s engageable by the free ends of the caliper arms, to preclude engagement of the latch block abutments with the stop depending upon the character of the coinlike insert.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the combination includes means for constantly yieldingly urging the latch member of the mounting plate into latching relationship with the body member.

10. Coin slide apparatus comprising in combination, a slide plateincluding means to advance a coin-like insert, said slide plate being shiftable between an initial retracted position and a position of full advancement, and including a stop carried thereby, an elongate body member supporting the shiftable slide plate for movement between the positions aforesaid, said body member being in the form of an open frame having longitudinal side rails and a rear end cross bar, said cross bar being recessed to form a well therein, an insert-testing caliper device operative upon inserts advanced. by the slide plate, said caliper device including a pair of movable arms each having a free swinging end, a caliper device mounting plate carrying said movable arms and forming therewith a unit assemblage, means supporting said mounting plate on and between said side rails of the body member in spaced parallel relation with said slide plate, coacting latching elements carried on said side rails and mounting plate releasably maintaining the mounting plate on said supporting means to selectively instantaneously mount and dismount the unit assemblage bodily relative to the body member, a pivot pin spanning the said well of the cross bar and having opposite ends supported upon the cross bar in position to be lifted from the well, a pair of latch blocks located within the well, and rockable individually upon the pivot pin, yielding means within the well, and supported by said pin to constantly urge said blocks rotationally in a common direction about the pin, said blocks each including an abutment biased toward the slide plate by said yielding means, to engage the slide plate stop for limiting advancement of the slide plate, means on the latch blocks engageable by the free ends of the caliper arms, to hold the latch block abutments out of engaging relationship with the slide plate stop, a divider plate located upon the pivot pin intermediate the latch blocks and spanning the well transversely of said pin, a guide plate having an elongate guide slot supporting the free ends of the caliper arms, and a single removable fastener anchoring the guide plate relative to the cross bar and upon the divider plate, for releasably holding the pivot pin and latch block assembly within the well.

11. Coin slide apparatus comprising in combination, a slide plate including means to advance a coin-like insert, said slide plate being shiftable between an initial retracted position and a position of full advancement, and including a stop carried thereby, an elongate body member supporting the slide plate for movement between the positions aforesaid, said body member having longitudinal side rails and a rear end cross bar recessed to form a well therein, an insert-testing caliper device operative upon inserts advanced by the slide plate, said caliper device including a pair of movable arms each having a swinglng free end, a caliper device mounting plate carrying said movable arms and forming therewith a unit assemblage, means supporting said mounting plate on and between said side rails of the body member in spaced parallel relation with said slide plate, coacting latching elements carried on said side rails and mounting plate releasably maintaining the mounting plate on the supporting means to selectively instantaneously mount and dismount the unit assemblage bodily relative to the body member, a pivot pin spanning the said well of the cross bar and supported to be lifted from the well, a pair of latch blocks located within the Well, and rockable' individually upon the pivot pin, yielding means within the well and supported by said pin to constantly urge said blocks rotationally in a common direction about the pin, said blocks each including an abutment biased toward the slide plate by said yielding means, to engage the slide plate stop for limiting advancement of the slide plate, means on the latch blocks engageable by the free ends of the caliper arms, to hold the latch block abutments out of engaging relationship with the slide plate stop, and means including a single removable fastener for releasably holding the pivot pin and latch block assembly within the well.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherem the combination includes within the means last mentioned, a divider plate located upon the pivot pin intermediate the latch blocks and substantially within the well, said divider plate being transverse to the pivot pin and removable therewith as a unit carrying the latch blocks, upon rem-oval of the single fastener aforesaid.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the combination includes within the means last mentioned, a guide plate having an elongate guide slot supporting the free ends of the caliper arms, said guide plate being releasably secured by the single removable fastener.

14. Coin slide apparatus comprising an elongate body member having a forward end portion and a rearward end, a mounting means forming a part of said body member at the forward end portion of the latter, said body member having spaced longitudinal side parts and a transverse rear end bar connecting said side parts, a slide plate resting upon said side parts for movement through an opening in said mounting means between an initial retracted position and a position of forward advancement and said plate including means to advance a coin-like insert, the slide plate having a longitudinal slot therein adjacent to each longitudinal side thereof, each of said longitudinal slots having a toothed rack along a portion of one edge, an upstanding ear fixed to the rear end portion of the body member at each side, thereof and extending upwardly through an adjacent longitudinal slot, an accessory panel overlying said slide plate and having a forward end edge and a rearward end, vertically spaced elements carried by said mounting means at the forward end edge of said panel and having said forward end edge of the panel inserted therebetween and supported on one thereof, a feeler element and a coin ejector pivotally supported on the upper side of the panel and each having a depending finger directed through an aperture in the panel, means yieldingly urging said fingers toward the slide plate, said panel having an opening therethrough at each side thereof adjacent to its rear end and each opening having an ear projecting upwardly therethrough, each of said ears having an aperture therethrough, a shaft extending transversely of the upper side of said panel between and connecting said ears and having each end supported in an aperture of an ear, means removably maintaining said shaft ends against disengagement from said ears, said panel being readily removable at its forward end from between said spaced elements upon disengagement of the shaft from the ears, and a pawl pivotally supported on said shaft adjacent to each ear and having a depending nose end extending through the adjacent opening in the panel for engaging the teeth of the adjacent rack for controlling movements of the slide plate.

15. The invention according to claim 14, wherein the said panel at the said supported forward end is in vertically spaced relation with the slide plate, with means removably mounted upon said shaft adjacent to each end thereof and extending downwardly through the adjacent panel opening for engaging the underlying surface of the slide plate and supporting the panel at its rear end in vertically spaced relation with the slide plate.

16. The invention according to claim 15, wherein the supported forward end edge of the panel by the said supporting one of the vertically spaced elements maintains the panel in vertically spaced relation with the slide plate and wherein the rear end of said panel is maintained in the same vertical spacing from the slide plate by wheel members supported upon said shaft and extending downwardly through the adjacent openings in the panel and engaging the top surface of the slide plate.

17. The invention according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus includes an insert testing caliper member operative upon inserts advanced by the slide plate, a caliper member mounting plate carrying said caliper member and forming therewith a unit assemblage, said body member having an upper side and an under side, the slide plate being disposed on the upper side, oppositely positioned longitudinal ribs on said longitudinal side parts and on the underside of the body member, said caliper member mounting plate having a forward end edge and longitudinal side edges, said mounting plate having a surface resting at each of said longitudinal edges upon said ribs, hook members carried by said mounting means and engaging the opposite surface of said mounting plate at the said forward end thereof, lug elements carried by said longitudinal side parts of the body member in spaced relation with said ribs, each longitudinal side edge of the mounting plate being engaged between a rib and a lug, each of said longitudinal side edges of the mounting plate having a notch therein for registry with and for passage of a lug therethrough, said mounting plate being slidable forwardly on said ribs for engagement by said hooks, said lugs and the notches being out of registry when the plate References Cited by the Examiner is engaged by said hooks, predetermined reverse move- UNITED STATES PATENTS ment of the plate on the ribs disengaging the latter from the hooks and bringing the notches and lugs into registry 1908380 5/33 Tratsch whereby complete dismounting of the unit assemblage 5 1'924618 8/33 M1115 194 92 from the apparatus may be eflected. g 194 92 18. The invention according to claim 17, with a pivoted 21161309 5/38 gg g latch finger carried by the mounting plate adjacent to 2135710 11/38 Gnmi each notch and adapted to engage an adjacent lug when 1 4 11/62 Han the mounting plate is engaged by said hooks, to secure 10 the plate against the said reverse movement. SAMUEL COLEMAN Primary Examine"- 

2. COIN SLIDE APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A SLIDE PLATE INCLUDING MEANS TO ADVANCE A COIN-LIKE INSERT, SAID SLIDE PLATE BEING SHIFTABLE BETWEEN AN INITIAL POSITION AND A POSITION OF FULL ADVANCEMENT, A BODY MEMBER SUPPORTING THE SHIFTABLE SLIDE PLATE, MEANS SUPPORTED ON THE BODY MEMBER TO TEST THE COIN-LIKE INSERTION FOR ACCEPTABILITY, AND MEANS DETACHABLY MOUNTED UPON SAID BODY MEMBER AS A UNITARY ASSEMBLY SEPARATE FROM THE SECOND MENTIONED MEANS, FOR ARRESTING ADVANCEMENT OF THE SLIDE PLATE INTERMEDIATE THE POSITIONS AFORESAID WHEN THE INSERT FAILS TO SATISFY SAID TEST MEANS. 